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(NoModeL) I T. G. GILPILLAN.

SAFETY GAR. v No. 366,828. Patented July 19, 1887. 1 2924 J 'Q.

WITNESSES A IN VENTOR I .4 -& 5W BY Mum 6;

ATTORNEYS.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS G. GILFILLAN, OF UNION, OREGON.

SAFETY-CAR.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,828, dated July 19 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. GILFILLAN, of Union, in the county of Union and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Oar, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a car from which escape can easily be made in case of accident.

eference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sectional elevations, at right angles to each other, of a section of a car embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section ofa car, showing a trap-door in the bottom thereof; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view.

In the roof ofthe car A, I form openingsasay four in numbcreach of which is closed by a trapdoor, l3, fitting water-tight, and on the inside of each door B is secured an eye, I), to receive the upper hooked end of a bar, 0, the upturned lower end, 0, of the said bar being forked. Fitting in the upturned forked end of the bar 0 is the head (1 of another bar, D, the lower end '0!" the bar (1 being formed with a book, (2. An eye, a, secured to or formed upon a hand-lever, E, receives the lower hooked end ofthe rod D, the said lever being fulcrumed at its end on the side of the car, and adjacent to the lever E on the side of the car is a vertical toothed bar, F, with which the said lever engages.

\Vhen the lever E is engaged by the toothed bar F, the doorBis securely held in place; but upon being released therefrom the lever may be raised, which will cause the lower bar, D, to be disengaged from the lower forked end of the bar 0 and allow the trap door B to be raised or removed.

At each opening a ar'efixed, on both the in side and outside of the ear, iron steps or rails F, similar to those now freight-cars.

There may be as many openings a in the car as desired, so that all the passengers may quickly make their escape in case of accident.

The unlocking of the trap-door is so very simple that the operation will be readily ap parent to even the most ignorant.

In addition to the openings in the roof, I provide the bottom of the car with trap-doors G, beveled on three sides, as shown, and providcd with rings r or other convenient means for removing them. These doorsG fit in correspondinglybeveled openings in the'car-floor, and in practice will be conspicuously labeled to indicate their purpose.

In case of collision, the doors F will be displaced by the shock, owing to their beveled form.

By this construction of car a means of exit is provided, no matter in what position the car may be thrown.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination,with a railroad-car l1aving an opening in its root, and with the door or cover of said opening, of the locking-bars O D, loosely connected together, the lever E, and toothed bar F, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a car having an opening in its roof, and with the cover or door of said opening, of the bar 0, secured to said door and formed at the bottom with an upturned forked end, 0, the bar D, formed with a head, d, fitting the forked end of bar 0, and a lever, I), for disengaging the bar D from the bar 0, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS e. GI'LFILLAN.

\Vitnesses:

J turns A. EAKIN, q R. EAKIN.

used on the outside of 

